.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Launched on 18 February 1756, the Royal George was at the time the largest ship in the world. She was a 100-gun first-rate and fought in Battle of Quiberon Bay as the flag of Admiral Sir Edward Hawke. Laid up from 1763-1778, she was recommissioned to serve in the American War of Independence, and in January 1780, took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent. On 28 August 1782, whilst anchored at Spithead, the Royal George was heeled over to allow for repairs below the water level on her starboard side. At this moment, a supply vessel approached, and this additional weight coupled with a sudden breeze caused her to heel over further, so that there was a rushing intake of water through the larboard (or port) gunports. The ship rolled and sank rapidly.
The subsequent salvage attempts, principally those carried out under Major-General Charles Pasley in 1839, record some of the earliest diving milestones such as the first recorded use of the 'buddy' system of diving in pairs. By 1843, the keel and bottom timbers had been removed and the site was declared clear.
The subsequent salvage attempts, principally those carried out under Major-General Charles Pasley in 1839, record some of the earliest diving milestones such as the first recorded use of the 'buddy' system of diving in pairs. By 1843, the keel and bottom timbers had been removed and the site was declared clear.